Promoting and reviewing romance novels one book at a time
Author: professorromance
I teach students to write for college. I love to read writers who write romance. Why not review and promote the writing of people who love to write romance? Win-win for me
Crew Taylor is the picture of perfection, if gruff, grumpy, and prone to throw a punch is your type. Clearly, itโs mine or I wouldnโt be begging him to bite the bullet and claim my virginity as his own.
Sure, heโs a bit of a caveman, broody and bossy and oh so naughty, but thatโs sort of the point.
Heโs experienced, his heated hazel eyes promising sinful skills in seduction, and I want him to teach me all he knows.
Lesson by lesson.
Night after night.
The problem?
He says he wonโt allow me in his bed โฆ but I wonder what it would take to get him to play in mine a bit?
Meagan Brandy is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of New Adult and Sports Romance books.ย
Born and raised in California, she is a married mother of three crazy boys who keep her bouncing from one sports field to another, depending on the season, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.ย
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Starbucks is her best friend and words are her sanity.
To learn more about Meagan and her books, visit here!ย
New York Times bestselling author Corinne Michaels brings another second chance standalone in the town of Rose Canyon.
My biggest mistake was falling in love with my fake husband.
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience between two best friends in the military. Our plan was to collect extra money and stay stationed together.
But what failed? Me. I did. Because suddenly I wanted a man who was never meant to be my real husband.
In an attempt to remedy my mistake, I severed all ties and put my life as a combat medic and Emmett Maxwell behind me. Iโve lost too many people to open myself up to love.
Now Iโm working as a private investigator, and fate has stepped in, forcing our paths to intersect again when Iโm looking into the disappearance of a missing girl with ties to Emmettโs hometown. A case I fear puts his life in danger.
He gives me one week to prove my suspicions and then I need to sign the divorce papers and leave. The problem with that? The moment I see Emmett again, I realize how foolish it was to leave him, to think I could ever stop loving him. All I want is a second chance.
When the case threatens not only my life but also his, Iโm faced with my worst fear. How many times can a heart break before it shatters beyond repair?
Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.
Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed–reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.
Tropes: enemies to lovers; second chance romance; new adult romance; sports romance
Rebecca Jenshakโs Hating the Player is more of the magic you expect from her. The story follows Violet, one of the four young ladies who live in the house next to Jenshakโs infamous White House, the house of the storied Valley U basketball players. In fact, one of those players, Gavin has a sordid history with Violet: he cheated on her with her sophomore year roommate. Gavin has pined for Violet from afar ever since. Complicating his life is his contemptuous relationship with his famous former NBA star father. Hating the Player is Gavin and Violetโs journey to reconciliation and a happy ending. What are some of the reasons you should read this book along with its predecessor, Tutoring the Player?
Gavin is a simp for Violet. Truly. He wants to be with her so much and he realizes he made a mistake in the past, but his feelings have never gone away. His courting of Violet makes for some of the best moments of the book.
Violetโs journey towards forgiveness is crafted well. Sheโs angry at him, and it takes the first third of the book for her to be won over. Thanks to Gavinโs tenacity, this finally happens, and it doesnโt feel too rushed or too drawn out.
I loved the slow evolution of their reconciliation.
There is a smexy scene involving a pen.
The message to live in the present and look to the future instead of focusing on the past, on the time that can no longer be fixed, is an important one, and Jenshak carefully teases that through her story in a couple of ways.
Hating the Player is thoughtful, sweet, and spicy in equal measure. If youโve never read a Rebecca Jenshak Valley U story, youโre missing out, and you should jump into this story STAT.
From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 44 Chapters About 4 Men (inspiration for the Netflix Original series Sex/Life) comes a dark mafia romance steeped in Irish folklore.
I can’t remember anymore if my grandfather’s eyes were blue or green, but I’ll never forget the way they wrinkled at the corners when he laughed at one of his own jokes. Or the way they sparkled with mischief when he told me tales about the magical creatures that dwelled in the forest behind his humble Irish sheep farm–shy fairies who liked to eat tea biscuits, cruel witches who liked to eat children, a moody lake spirit with a taste for expensive gifts.
As a child, I believed every fantastical word. But when he warned me about the mute boy who also lurked in those woods, the one the priest had declared to be the spawn of Satan himself, I refused to listen. Kellen wasn’t evil. He was kind, and beautiful, and special, and hurting. He was my friend. And with every summer I spent stolen away with him in those enchanted woods, he grew to become so much more.
But when I return to Glenshire as an adult, grieving and engaged to someone else, all those legends quickly morph into nightmares.
My grandfather had been right about everything, especially the boy.
If only I had listened.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Devil of Dublin is intended for mature audiences who enjoy extremely dark subject matter, high emotional intensity, explicit adult content, graphic violence, heart-pounding suspense, fairy-tale worthy love, and gorgeous Irish scenery. If that sounds like you, then welcome to Glenshire! If you’re unsure, please review the comprehensive content warning on my website before reading.
Special edition hardbacks and paperbacks are also available with an alternate cover designed by Emily Wittig and eight full-page, B&W photos of the gorgeous Irish locations mentioned in the book!
Also available in audio!
Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett and Eric Nolan
(an Irish actor seen on Game of Thrones, Vikings, Vikings Valhalla, & The Witcher)
Meet BB Easton
Wall Street Journal bestselling author BB Easton lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her long-suffering husband, Ken, and two adorable children. A few years ago, she quit her job as a school psychologist to write books about her punk rock past and deviant sexual history full-time. Ken wasnโt super excited about that, but now that heโs appeared in three of her books and inspired a TV show character, heโs incredibly supportive.
BBโs debut memoir, 44 Chapters About 4 Men, went on to inspire the Netflix original series, Sex/Life, which was viewed by 67 million households worldwide within the first month making it the 3rd most-watched Netflix original series of all time. Because she had so much fun writing 44 Chapters, BB went on to publish four more wickedly funny, shockingly steamy, and heartwarmingly autobiographical books, one for each man in her memoirโSkin, Speed, Star, and Suit.
The Rain Trilogyโa dark, immersive, end-of-the-world romanceโwas BBโs first work of fiction. Or at least, thatโs what she thought when she wrote it in 2019. Then, 2020 hit, and all of her dystopian plot points started coming true. Hoping to fix everything, BB returned with a fun, feel-good romantic comedy called Group Therapy, but alas, the world is still on fire โฆ and so is BBโs desire to write intense, us-against-the-world romances. Her next release,Devil of Dublin, isa dark Irish mafia romance steeped in folklore and family secrets.
You can find BB procrastinating in all of the following places:
โIf youโd rather call for a tow, thatโs fine.โ A faint smirk settles on his lips. โBut let me give you a little heads-up.โ
โWhat about?โ
โItโs almost seven oโclock on a Friday night. Tucker, your savior tow truck driver, is currently occupying the last barstool at the Wet Whistle, knocking back cold ones left and right. He ainโt coming to get you until tomorrow afternoon at best. So if you wanna wait it out, Iโd find a blanket. It gets cold around here at night.โ
He knows he made his point. The smugness in his features gives him away.
I wish I was ballsy enough to wait for Tucker or, at the very least, call this guyโs bluff. Unfortunately for me, I listen to too many crime podcasts, Iโm scared of the dark, and I really, really just want to get to the hotel tonight and take a hot bath.
โSuit yourself,โ he says, turning like heโs going to leave.
โWait.โ
Against my better judgment, I unlock the door. I climb out of the car before I can think about it.
Thatโs my second mistake today.
Blurb:
This grumpy hero makes things hard for the nanny.
You know what? Iโm over him.
His moods.
The verbal sparring.
Those biceps that look like they were cut from marble.
Okay, maybe Iโm not over him being shirtless.
Chase Marshall is a single dad with a daughter to love, so fighting with me shouldnโt be a priority. But he canโt seem to stay away.
The lingering looks when he thinks Iโm not watching.
The seemingly innocent touches while making breakfast.
The smirks gracing his lips after Iโm irritated by his antics.
Heโs ridiculously sweet to his daughter. I even catch glimpses of how charming he could be to meโif he wanted to.
But thatโs the problem. He acts like he doesnโt want to. That he doesnโt want me.
He does. Itโs in the innuendos, the way he places his hand in the small of my backโthe almost kisses while weโre putting away groceries. The way he comes running when I see a spider and checks on me before he goes to bed. Even if he does grumble about it.
I might not be totally over my boss, but Iโm going to make him think I am.
Letโs see how frustrated Mr. Marshall gets now.
From USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a grumpy/sunshine, blue-collar single dad, nanny romance. This small-town romance is a standalone novel with tons heat and even more heart.
More Than I Could is a standalone in the Coming Home series where one author a month will be delivering a brand-new story about coming home.
About the Author:
USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.
She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice and there’s always a piece of candy in her pocket.
Tia Louise has revealed the cover for For Your Eyes Only!
Releasing October 13, 2022
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY By Tia Louise
Can you love what you can’t touch?
No touching. It’s the only rule in this business, and trust me, with my money and power, “hands off” is not a problem. I don’t need the women I employ to satisfy my needs… Until her. She’s different than the other girls, innocent, intoxicating, impossibly seductive. I can’t take my eyes off her, and it’s not long before hot looks turn to hotter touches. I’m the boss, after all, I call the shots. And nothing’s more fun than breaking the rules.
I came to this country to pursue my dream… but it was a lie, a scam that quickly fell apart. Desperate, I took the only job I could with no work visa. They promised no one would know. They promised no touching. Until I saw him. Dark scruff shading an arrogant grin, lean muscles stretching expensive fabric, eyes like twilight sending electricity from my stomach to my toes. He’s my boss, but the way he watches makes me do dirty things. For his eyes only, I’m uninhibited, experienced, a seductress. Only, our game turns dangerous when a watcher threatens everything, and my hands-on hero vows to save me.
Tropes: second chance romance; single dad; single mom; widow; divorced dad
Two days out, and I am still reveling in Kristen Ashleyโs Making the Match. Hereโs the thing: I am loving the River Rain series. Itโs a combination of older MMC/FMCs and younger ones. It feels multi-generational, and the cast of characters is as compelling as Ashleyโs Rock Chicks/MMC/Dream Man/Dream Team series. Writing a world of characters so interesting that they feel real to you is Kristen Ashleyโs superpower.
It was intriguing to enter Tomโs story. He cheated on Genny, and we should hate him. Right? Except Ashley is astute about marital issues. Decided in her characterization of him, Ashley makes it clear that his cheating is an exception, not the rule. And itโs complicated by the reality of his marriage to Genny. Tom doesnโt blame Genny for his indiscretion, but he expounds upon the complications of their marriage. For me, this was my favorite part of the book beyond Tom and Mikaโs coupling. Marriage is hard, and it is easy to be derailed because both people are human. Ashley articulates this beautifully and deftly throughout Tomโs journey.
Make no mistake. You will leave this story having fallen hard for Tom and Mika even while grieving the loss of Genny and Tom together. I felt that indelibly as I was reading Making the Match. I adore Tom and Mika together. Heโs a wonderful human, worthy of Mikaโs love. Mike is a compassionate empath who truly sees Tom in a way that heโs never seen before. Except for some missteps early in their pairing, Tom and Mika are fated, and they steal a piece of your soul.
There are ideas about grief and acceptance, marriage and divorce, along with the humanity of people in relationships. There are characters upon characters in Making the Match that will make you smile, cry, and grow angry. I could live in Kristen Ashleyโs River Rain series for a long, long time because each new chapter excites me for the future of this series.
You should really start at the beginning of this series with After the Climb to understand the impact of this story on this world. To me, Kristen Ashley is a gifted storyteller with the capacity to weave magic into her characters and her stories. Please donโt miss out on Tom and Mika, but read the others first.
You donโt get to make decisions for me, Mr. Pierce.โ โYouโre wrong, baby. I do.โ
Making the Match, an all-new spicy, heartfelt and emotional second chance standalone romance in the River Rain Series from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley, is available now!
If you love second chance, single parent romance, pining, a couple over 40, redemption and forgiveness, this is the book for you.
Decades ago, tennis superstar Tom Pierce and โIt Girlโ Mika Stowe met at a party.
Mika fell in love. Tom was already in love with his wife. As badly as Tom wanted Mika as a friend, Mika knew it would hurt too much to be attracted to this amazing man and never be able to have him.
They parted ways for what they thought would be forever, only to reconnect just once, when unspeakable tragedy darkens Mikaโs life.
Years later, the impossible happens.
A time comes when theyโre both unattached.
But now Tom has made a terrible mistake. A mistake so damaging to the ones he loves, he feels heโll never be redeemed.
Mika has never forgotten how far and how fast she fell when she met him, but Tomโs transgression is holding her distant from reaching out.
There are matchmakers in their midst, however.
And when the plot has been unleashed to make that match, Tom and Mika are thrown into an international intrigue that pits them against a Goliath of the sports industry.
Now they face a massive battle at the same time theyโre navigating friendship, attraction, love, family, grief, redemption, two very different lives lived on two opposite sides of a continent and a box full of kittens.
About Kristen Ashley Kristen Ashley is the New York Times bestselling author of over eighty romance novels. Sheโs a hybrid author, publishing titles both independently and traditionally, her books have been translated in fourteen languages and sheโs sold millions of books. Kristen recently released GOSSAMER IN THE DARKNESs, a novella with 1,001 Dark Nights based in Kristen’s Fantasyland universe. In September 2022, she’ll publish the fourth in the River Rain Series, the story of Tom and Mika, MAKING THE MATCH. She also has upcoming books in her Wild West MC romance series, and her romantic thriller series, Misted Pines. Kristen, born in Gary and raised in Brownsburg, Indiana and was a fourth-generation graduate of Purdue University. Since, she has lived in Denver, the West Country of England, and she now resides in Phoenix. She worked as a charity executive for eighteen years prior to beginning her independent publishing career. She now writes full-time. Although romance is her genre, the prevailing themes running through all of Kristenโs novels are friendship, family and a strong sisterhood. To this end, and as a way to thank her readers for their support, Kristen has created the Rock Chick Nation, a series of programs that are designed to give back to her readers and promote a strong female community. You can learn more about Kristen and the Rock Chick Nation on her website: http://www.KristenAshley.net
Gavin Leonard is the worst. He lives in the best party house off campus at Valley U, overrun by jocks galore. I live next door, watching Jane Austen adaptations with my sketchbook in hand. He stays on his side of the fence. I stay on mine. Now we’re accidentally on a camping trip together, but there’s only one tent left.
Gavin Leonard is the worst. And he’s the last guy who broke my heart.
Download today on Apple Books, Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo!
Rebecca Jenshak is a USA Today bestselling author of new adult and sports romance. She writes sexy, feel-good stories with lots of swoon-worthy moments.
Rebecca lives in Arizona. When she isnโt writing, you can find her cheering on local sports teams, hanging out with friends and family, or curled up with a good book.
Tropes: insta-attraction; opposites attract; intelligent strong FMC; cinnamon roll MMC; single dad; found family
There is a predictability to Penelope Ward and Vi Keelandโs romances. It isnโt what you think, though. There is a guarantee that you will love their stories as they craft engaging characters, stories that take turns into the unexpected, and happy endings that make you either swoon or tear up in happiness. Over and over again, their stories are successful based solely on reader reviews and interest.
What is most predictable about their stories, about a book such as their newest one, The Rules of Dating, is to expect the unexpected. Time and time again, you will read the blurb and think you have the story figured out before you enter it. What you find out quickly is the blurb is their hook, their means to grab your attention and entice you to buy their story. And it works every time. It isnโt until you enter their romance that you realize nothing is as it truly seems. You start down a guaranteed path and quickly find yourself reading a different journey than you expected. Itโs my favorite part of their storytelling. Thereโs a feeling of surprise in every book.
There are two key truths about The Rules of Dating that make it appealing for romance readers:
Billie, the FMC, is worthy of worship.
Colby is a simp for Billie and rightfully so
I love an independent, intelligent, emotionally insightful FMC. The moment noted in the blurb for Ward and Keelandโs story comes to fruition, and it makes you chuckle as Billie stands against cheating men. However, there is depth and gravity to Billieโs characterization, and you simply canโt help but adore her.
As such, from the moment they meet, Colby is sold on her. What transpires is a game of cat-and-mouse in which Colby does everything to be near or with Billie. His ingenuity in wooing her creates some of the best moments of the story. Heโs everything a romance reader adores about an MMC: driven, compassionate, and a caring, loving father. And he absolutely beyond any doubt adores Billie. This eventually turns Billieโs heart toward him.
And then, Ward and Keeland hit their readers with a one-two punch from the game of life, leveling up the angst of the story. Honestly, the inciting moment of The Rules of Dating is a bit of a surprise which is part of the predictability of Ward and Keelandโs storytelling.
Add to all of this a found family group on both Billieโs and Colbyโs sides that adds humor, advice, and support to Billie and Colbyโs story.
Penelope Ward and Vi Keelandโs The Rules of Dating is an emotional, enticing book. There were times when I stepped away from it because I was set on Billie and Colbyโs happy ending. When that finally comes in this book, it will make you tear up. Quite frankly, this is a book you donโt want to miss.
Professor Romance 